Device to open and hold containers during packaging operation



y 1959 A. J. BROOKS ETAL 2,395,276

DEVICE TO OPEN AND HOLD CONTAINERS DURING PACKAGING OPERATION Filed March a, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MAL] July 21, 1959 A. J. BROOKS ETAL 2,395,275

DEVICE TO OPEN AND HOLD CONTAINERS DURING PACKAGING OPERATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 8, 1955 United States Patent DEVICE TO OPEN AND HOLD CONTAINERS DURING PACKAGING OPERATION Application March s, 1955, Serial No. 492,911 Claims. cl. 53-261) .This invention relates to a device to open a container for the purpose of inserting a package therein.

Oneobject of our invention is to provide such a device that will open containers by a simple hand operation, and hold them open while inserting a package therein. I

Another object is to provide such a device that will open containers of various sizes to exact point desired by a'single, downward movement.

A further object is to provide such a device that readily receives the container to be opened, and after filling it, said container can readily be withdrawn from the device,

following which the operating mechanism automatically returns to normal position.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawings. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, we are not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawings nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but are entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of our claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of our device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof, the dotted lines indicating the positions of the work supporting plate and other associated movable parts during their movement to open position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front end, elevational view of our device.

Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged, sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

As illustrated, our device has supporting means embodying a base and a. hollow pedestal 12, rectangular in cross section, attached thereto and extending upwardly. Said base is cut away to permit an operator to stand near the device while using it.

A U-shaped supporting frame has a bottom channel member 14 attached to said pedestal 12, and two upstanding, oppositely disposed, side channel members 16 and 18 attached to said bottom 14. The supporting means could have a bracket 20 if our device is attached to a bench, This bracket is shown attached to side channel member 18 and can be adjusted in height by use of holes 22 in the latter to receive bolts, thus enabling attachment of said bracket 20 to a bench.

Fixed to said side channel member 16 is a right angle container engaging side blade 24, while fixed to the other side member 18 is a similar right angle, side blade 26. In use, these blades 24 and 26, which are stationary, extend into a bag B, or other container, to be opened, remaining in fixed position to hold the upper part of said bag, preparatory to further opening and filling it.

A work supporting plate 30, having recesses 32 in its upper surface to permit escape of air while packaging takes place, has a forward portion 33 tapering in width,

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over which a bag B, or other container, to be opened, is placed. Attached to opposite sides of said supporting plate are right angle, container engaging blades 34 and 36, extending upwardly and which move downwardly with said plate when it is depressed. These blades 34 and 36 extend into the bag B at opposite sides thereof, and open said bag as said work plate descends.

Attached to and extending across said bag engaging blades 34 and 36, below said plate 30, is an angle, cross bar 38 held thereto by bolts 40. A depressor member 42 is attached to said blade 34 and extends laterally thereof for convenience in pushing said plate 30 downwardly. Said work plate 30, bag engaging blades 34 and 36 and said cross bar 38, provide movable, container opening means.

Operating means, include a hollow push rod or tube 44, rectangular in cross section, which is attached to said cross bar 38 and extends below it, having a slot 46 therein commencing at a point near the top and extending to the bottom. Commencing below .said push rod 44 is a hearing sleeve 48, rectangular in cross section, in which said push rod 44 slides. This sleeve 48 is fixed to said pedestal 12, as by welding.

A pulley 50 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 52, the latter being set in said pedestal 12, with the pulley partly in the latter and extending laterally through openings in 7 said pedestal and sleeve 48 and through said slot 46 into the interior of push rod 44. A cable 54 runs over this pulley 50, having a counterweight 56 attached thereto at one end, which moves within said pedestal 12. This counterweight 56 is shown in normal position by solid lines in Fig. 2, and in actuated position by dotted lines in said Fig. 2.

At the opposite end of said cable 54 is a leading member or block 58 which moves in bearing sleeve 48, and said push rod 44 bears against said leading member 58. Movement of said work plate 30 downwardly, causes said push rod 44 to push said leading member 58 downwardly, thus raising said counterweight 56 within said pedestal 12. The foregoing operating means not only keeps said work plate 30 in normal or loading position, as shown in Fig. l, but upon depression of said plate 30, these means, due to the weight of the counterweigh, return said work plate automatically to normal position when pressure upon said work plate 30 is released.

In operation, a bag B is drawn over the fixed, side engaging blades 24 and 26 and side engaging blades 34 and 36, including said work supporting plate 30. A container to be packaged, which may have shirts therein, for instance, is placed on said work supporting plate 30 to the left of said supporting frame channel members 16 and 18. Said depressor member 42 is pressed downwardly, thus moving with it said work supporting plate 30 and said blades 34 and 36, any desired distance to open bag B sulficiently to receive said container C. Said plate 30 remains in that position, and the container C is slid over said plate 30 into said bag B, and the latter is removed from our device. Now that there is no weight on said plate 30, said counterweight 56, which had been drawn upwardly by said downward pressure, now moves downwardly to normal position. This carries said cable 54 along, and raises said leading member 58 in said bearing sleeve 48, thus forcing said push rod 44 upwardly, until said work supporting plate 30 has returned to normal position. The return movement of said plate 30 is automatic, the action occurring when the container 0 and its contents are removed from said device.

What we claim is:

1. A device to open containers comprising supporting means, a supporting frame supported by said means embodying two upstanding sides, two engagingblades attached to said sides. movable container opening means embodying a work supporting plate, two engaging blades carried by said work supporting plate and extending upwardly therefrom and being below said first-mentioned blades, during the opening movement of said opening means, and operating means attached to and normally maintaining said opening means in predetermined position embodying a push rod below and attached to said Opening means and instrumentalities responsive to pressure of said push rod whereby said work supporting plate is normally maintained in predetermined position.

2. A device to open containers comprising supporting means, a supporting frame supported by said means embodying two upstanding sides, two bag engaging blades attached to said sides, movable bag opening means embodying a work supporting plate, two bag engaging blades carried by said work supporting plate and extending upwardly therefrom and being below said firstmentioned blades, during the opening movement of said opening means, and operating means attached to and normally maintaining said bag opening means in predetermined position embodying a push rod below and attached to said opening means, instrumentalities respon-.

sive to pressure of said push rod embodying a cable, pulley and counterweight, whereby said work supporting plate is normally maintained in predetermined position.

3. A device to open containers comprising supporting means embodying a base and a hollow pedestal extending upwardly from said base and having a. lateral opening therein, a supporting frame supported by said means embodying a bottom and two upstanding sides, two container engaging blades attached to said sides, movable, container opening means embodying a work supporting plate, two engaging blades attached to said work supporting plate and being below said first-mentioned blades, a cross member attached to said latter blades and extending between them, and operating means attached to and maintaining said opening means in predetermined position embodying a push rod attached to said cross bar and having an opening therein, a bearing tube, having a lateral opening therein, attached to said pedestal in which tube said push rod slidably extends, a pulley mounted in said pedestal and extending laterally therefrom through said bearing tube opening and said push rod slot into the interior of said push rod, a cable extending over said pulley into the interior of said pedestal at one end and into the interior of said tube at the other end, a leading member attached to said cable and movable within said tube, and a counterweight attached to said cable and movable within said pedestal, said work plate, and engaging blades attached thereto, being movable downwardly to any point above said supporting frame bottom to thereby cause said push rod to contact and force said leading member downwardly in said bearing tube.

4.Adevicetoopencontaineis supporting means embodying a base and a hollow pedestal extendingupwardlyfromsaidbaseandhavingalateralopening therein, a U-shaped, supporting frame mentioned blades, a cross member attached to said latter blades and extending between them, and operating means attached to and maintaining said opening means in predetermined position embodying a push rod attached to said cross bar and having an opening therein, a bearing tube, having a lateral opening therein, attached to said pedestal in which tube said push rod slidably extends, a pulley mounted in said pedestal and extending laterally therefrom through said bearing tube opening and said push rod slot into the interior of said push rod, a cable extending over said pulley into the interior of said pedestal at one end and into the interior of said tube at the other end, a leading member attached to said cable and movable within said bearinr, tube and a counterweight attached to said cable and movable within said pedestal, said work plate and engaging blades attached thereto being movable downwardly within said U-shaped frame to thereby cause said push rod to contact and force said leading member downwardly in said bearing tube.

5. A device to open containers comprising supporting means embodying a base and a hollow pedestal extending upwardly from said base and having a lateral opening therein, a U-shaped, supporting frame supported by said means embodying a bottom and two upstanding sides, two container engaging blades attached to said sides, movable, container opening means embodying a work supporting plate, two engaging blades attached to said work supporting plate and being below said first mentioned blades, a cross member attached to said latter blades and extending between them, a depressor member attached to a said latter blade and extending laterally of said work supporting plate, and operating means attached to and said opening means in predetermined position embodying a push rod attached to said cross bar and having an opening therein, a bearing tube, having a lateral opening therein, attached to said pedestal in which tube said push rod slidably extends, a

pulley mounted in said pedestal and extending laterally therefrom through said bearing tube opening and said push rod slot into the interior of said push rod, a cable extending over said pulley into the interior of said pedestal at one end and into the interior of said tube at the other end, a leading member attached to said cable and movable within said tube, and a counterweight attached to said cable and movable within said pedestal, said work plate and blades attached thereto being movable downwardly within said U-shaped frame to thereby cause said push rod to contact and force said leading member downwardly in said bearing tube,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.402.869 Buchanan a u. I'm 25, 1946 W said means embodying a bottom and two PP'--------- 1955 

